Health Tips for May 12

Health Tip: Is Your Baby in Pain?

Babies may cry for a variety of reasons, and it's often difficult to figure out the reason for their unhappiness.

Here are signs that your baby may be in pain, courtesy of the University of Michigan Health System:

* Unusual crying: If the cry is in a different pitch than usual, if the crying lasts longer, or if the baby is crying more forcefully.
* Facial features: If the baby is squeezing the eyes shut, furrowing the brows, or has deep lines or wrinkles around the nose.
* A stiffness or tenseness to the body: If the baby has the arms and legs stretched out, or squeezes them in close. Some babies may seem unusually limp or quiet when in pain.
* Irritability: If you can't soothe the infant by the usual methods. Also, the infant may be fussy, restless and unwilling to eat or sleep.

Health Tip: Tension Headaches

A tension headache is characterized by tight, painful pressure across the forehead. The pain may also extend into the neck, and is usually steady, rather than sharp or stabbing.

Tension headaches may be brought on by everyday stress and frustration, eyestrain and poor posture, says the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center. Other symptoms may accompany these headaches, including fatigue, depression and difficulty sleeping.

Tension headaches may be prevented by prescription medications such as tricyclic antidepressants, beta blockers and divalproex sodium. Over-the-counter medications -- such as aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen -- can help alleviate pain.